CONVEYANCING QUALITY SCHEME
We have secured membership to the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme - the mark of excellence for the home buying process.
Thorneloe & Co underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society in order to secure CQS status, which marks the firm out as meeting high standards in the residential conveyancing process.
Law Society President John Wotton said that the Law Society introduced CQS to promote high standards in the home buying process.
“CQS improves efficiency with common, consistent standards and service levels and enables consumers to recognise practices that provide a quality residential conveyancing service.
"Buying a home is one of the largest purchases anyone will make in their lifetime, so it is essential that it is done to the highest standard by a solicitor. There are many different conveyancing service providers out there, making it difficult for home buyers to identify those which can ensure a safe and efficient level of service.”
We are delighted to have secured CQS status. It is recognition of the high standards we provide to our residential property clients and is a signal to future home buyers of the excellent service level we provide at what is often a stressful time for many people.
The overall beneficiaries will be clients who use us when buying a home. They will receive a reliable, efficient service as recognised by the CQS standard.
The scheme requires practices to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self reporting, random audits and annual reviews in order to maintain CQS status. It is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the Building Societies Association, Legal Ombudsman and the Association of British Insurers
WILLS
One thing to do before you die
Most people die without having made a Will. Here are some reasons why you should not be one of them:
1.You can choose who will deal with your paperwork and be responsible for ensuring that your wishes are carried out after your death. Without a Will, you have no control over who does this. In extreme cases it may be done either by someone to whom you owe money or a government appointed solicitor.
2.You can appoint guardians for your children.
3.You can leave gifts of specific items to people you know will want and appreciate them.
4.You can leave gifts of money to people or charities who certainly would not receive anything from you if you die without a Will.
5.You can make sure (with a very few exceptions) that everything you own when you die is left to those you would like to have it.
6.If you have children from a previous relationship but a new partner (and maybe new children too!) you can usually make some provision for all of them. This does not happen if you die without a Will.
7. There is no such thing as a “common law” husband or wife. With very few exceptions, the only way a long term partner can benefit from your estate is either by marrying you (or entering a civil partnership with you), or if you choose to include them in your Will.
8. Your husband, wife or civil partner is not guaranteed to inherit everything you own if you die without a Will.
9. It is easier for those left behind to deal practically with your death if you have made a Will.
10. Making a Will does not take long and is not expensive. Having one correctly written by a solicitor could save your family a great deal of trouble and money in the future.
LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY
Until October 2007, you could draw up an Enduring Power of Attorney (relating to your financial affairs and assets – not your personal welfare) appointing somebody (your “attorney”) to act on your behalf in the event of your losing mental capacity in the future. It was a four page document containing your and your chosen attorney(s) details and signed by you all which then lay dormant until such time as you may have needed or wanted it to be used. There was no requirement for the document to be registered at the Public Guardianship Office unless you lost your mental capacity.
If you already have an Enduring Power of Attorney it is still valid and will remain so for the rest of your life but from October 2007 new rules came into effect.
Under the new rules, you can draw up a Lasting Power of Attorney (instead of an Enduring Power of Attorney) relating to either or both your financial affairs and/or your health and welfare. Each form is twenty five pages long with an additional ten pages of notes. There is a requirement that your capacity and free will is certified independently at the time that the document is signed and it must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (who charge a fee of £150) before it is used.
However, even with the increased paperwork and cost it is still a very good idea to put in place a Lasting Power of Attorney since the procedure that your family will have to go through in the event that you lose your mental capacity in the future and do not have one is even more complicated (and expensive!).
Please contact us for more information.
